A Clean House.

Yes, my blogging was delayed due to operation clean in our household as we prepare for Katy's 1st Communion. So, Andy decided to head into Hannah's room while she was at Swim practice. A bad mistake? Well, the mood definately took a turn south as the garbage bag arrived. It appears that our daughter likes to hang onto food in various bags that she frolics about in. And the various water bottles, some filled with water, some with blue sweet drink. Oh, and lets not forget the dirty makeup filled q-tips found resting in the closet near a pile of shoes. I don't need to mention clothes. Oh Hannah...

Well, after a few hours of cleaning, the room looks great! Thanks to my dear hubby who really knows how to clean thoroughly. Sometimes, too thoroughly? Anyway, the house is nearly ready for our house guests to arrive. Can't wait to see you Mimi and Zadie.

The meal that was prepared during all the cleaning madness was Chicken Marsala, a Sicilian dish that was very good. I found a recipe on a blog called, "Confessions of a Foodie Mommy". The recipe is from relatives in Sicily. It was fun to make something that I've never made before. I would recommend you try it. Katy of all people gobbled it up. Elie politely ate it, not her favorite and Hannah declared that she doesn't like Chicken.

Sicilian Chicken Marsala

Ingredients 

1 cup all-purpose flour for coating 

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper 

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves cut into bite size pieces 

6 tablespoons butter 

4 tablespoons olive oil 

8 garlic gloves minced (if 8 cloves is Vanilla, 12 would be Godiva Chocolate) 

1 large onion diced

1 cup sliced mushrooms (optional) 

A lot of Marsala wine (Cover the chicken so that just the tops of the pieces are visible. You really want to drown this bird. 

Directions

 In a shallow dish or bowl, mix together the flour, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken pieces in flour mixture. In a large skillet, melt butter and oil over medium heat. Place garlic and onion in pan and cook till onion starts to brown. Add the chicken to the pan, and cook until golden brown. Turn over chicken pieces, and add mushrooms (if you like mushrooms). Pour in marsala. Cover skillet; simmer chicken 20 minutes, until no longer pink and juices run clear. We serve this dish over white rice but obviously it can be served over penne, bowtie, etc. 

FREE Latte's.

Sometimes I really have a hard time coming up with a "Happy is" moment. This was that day. I will say that the day started out great. As I ordered Katy's 1st communion cake, the gal helping me asked my name.  I told her my name was  "Gillaspey". When I told her and tried to spell it, she looked at me weird and I said, "oh, I guess you don't need my last name spelled"....  She is related to the Gillaspey's. She grew up in Chariton, IA where Andy's Dad and family lived. She may or may NOT be related, but it was much too coincidental that there would be separate Gillaspey families living in a small town in Iowa.  My moment ended with Starbuck's handing me a FREE Latte. Ok, so I earned it with my Perks card. But it still feels great when you walk away with a FREE Latte.

Dinner tonight was interesting. Andy ate last weeks chicken dish from Turkey (I hope it was still good). Elie had another Turkey and Cheese Focaccia and Katy tried to eat the meal I made but ended with Sunday leftovers and a wedge of Focaccia bread. So it was down to Hannah and I. We ate the meal I made. And neither of us complained. It was a Sicilian Garlic Sauce that was essentially pesto with diced tomatoes. It was the tomato tang that made Katy unhappy. All and all, the meal was more about conversation with my girls as they walked into the kitchen from studying or playing soccer or watching Make it or Break it secretly under her bed on Netflix... I was quick to let Katy know that I wasn't happy. She later told me that she needed to go to reconciliation for lying and watching the show that she's not supposed to watch. God love her.

Hannah and I went to Carson's funeral today. It was a very nice memorial service though Very sad.  The Tiger Lillies were honorary pallbearers. The Elephant was very much in the room. So many great things to say about this fine young man who lived life to its fullest. It left us empty with heavy hearts. No resolution, no real closure. Just a broken heart that a child could make such a hasty decision. His family is strong. The strength will get them through this. I hope.

Sicilian Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup raw almonds or pine nuts
7 cloves garlic
5 fresh basil leaves
2 tsp minced fresh parsley (oops, forgot this)
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 14.5 oz. canned diced tomatoes

Finely grind the nuts, using a food processor. Add garlic cloves, basil, parsley, salt and pepper; process until the garlic and basil have been minced. Pour in olive oil and diced tomatoes, and process again until the sauce has been mixed and the tomatoes are in small pieces.

Serve over noodles. You can heat the sauce before serving or serve with hot noodles.

Focaccia Comfort.

Sicily on a Monday. We had a pack filled night with the usual dance and soccer plus an added visitation that Hannah and I attended for Carson. It was surreal. There were so many people that attended. It took two hours before we greeted our dear Susan. Carson lived such a great life, all of nearly 15 years of it. It felt like we were attending a graduation party vs. a funeral visitation. With so many familiar faces and a shrine of beautiful pictures athletic uniforms and medals. He really lived every moment.

Dinner was easy. I picked up two loaves of South Union Bakery Focaccia Bread from Taste of Italy along with some Italian Beef, Turkey and Capicola to make sandwiches. A simple meal for a rather complicated event. We're not supposed to be attending funeral visitations for young and healthy teenagers. It's just not right.

What comforts me is a quote that was in Carson's program..."We will never be the same as we were before this loss. But are Ever so much better for having had something so great to Lose".

May the comfort of memories of such a great boy get this family through this tragic loss.

Landing in Sicily.

We are going to enjoy a week in Sicily this week. Tonight was our first night. a traditional Sunday meal. Comfort. After a long week. Did you know that Venus, the goddess of love was born is Sicily? "Italy... Sicily... what's the diffrence?" Some will say, but as JW Goethe once said in his book Journey To Italy: To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to not have seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything"

Sicilian Brasciole a la Lena
1 Tbl. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/8 cup chopped freshed parsley
1 cub bread crumbs
1/8 cup grated romano cheese
1/8 cup raisins
1/8 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 Tbl olive oil
1 1/2 pounds round steak
1 Tbl olive oil

1 32 oz. jar spaghetti sauce

Directions:

1) Heat 1 Tbl. olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Saute onion until translucent, 10 minutes. Stir garlic and parsley, and continue cooking until onion begin to brown. Remove form heat, and allow to cool.
2) In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, Romano cheese, raisins, pine nuts and pepper.
3) Pound steak to 1/2 inch with a moistened mallet or the side of a cleaver. Spread onion mixture evenly over meat, leaving a 1 inch border around the edges.  Spread bread crumb mixture in an even layer, and drizzle with 1 Tbl olive oil. Roll up from the narrow end, and tie tightly with kitchen twine.
4) Heat remaining olive oil in dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown roll on all sides, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Pour in spaghetti sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for 2 hours, until tender.

Slice and serve over pasta.

Our weekend was filled with Elie fun. Between her band event and soccer tournament, she is fueled with parent involvement. We're so proud of her. Katy hung out in the usual Katy, I'm a trooper kind of way and Hannah was her typical teenager, too busy for her to slow down. She is so drained from this weeks suffering with her friend gone. Her schedule between school, drivers ed, life guarding class, out with friends and dealing with her parents has left her in a very non-functional state. It's time for a Hannah focus. To keep her strong, positive and bubbly again. She is our sunshine. It's time to focus on making her shine again.

Secret Ingredients.

Tonight I served up Tava, a Turkish Stew that was created for Americans living close to the military base. The secret ingredient for the Turkish taste is the red peppers. It was again, very tasty. Again, another interesting combination of simple flavors. I hand selected to chicken bites when I dished up Katy and Elie's meal, to hide the mushrooms and to avoid the "I'm not eating it" factor. It worked. They ate it. No complaints. Which in my mind is a success.

I probably should have made this dish earlier in the week, seeing that it's a pan that says "leftovers". Oh well, it will take us through the weekend. At least Andy and I or just I will enjoy the leftovers. I can't seem to get my people to eat leftovers that often. Bummer for them.

I made this without the onion which I didn't have on hand. I substituted extra garlic and onion powder and it turned out delish. Here's tomorrow being Friday. It's been a very long and draining week.

Tava or Turkish Stew
2 Tbl olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast halves-cut into 1 inch cubes
6 oz. jar or roasted red peppers, drained
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes with juice
1 6 oz. jar mushrooms, drained
1 onion, diced
1 Tbl minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste
1 16 oz. pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a medium casserole dish.
2. Heat 1 Tbl. oil in skillet over medium heat, and cook chicken until juices run clear.
3. Puree roasted peppers in a blender or food processor until smooth. (I used my mini processor). 
4. In the prepared casserole dish, mix the cooked chicken roasted red pepper puree, tomatoes, mushrooms, onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with remaining olive oil, and top with mozzarella cheese.
5. Bake 30 minutes in preheated onion, until cheese is melted and bubbly. (I covered for 1st 20 minutes to keep from getting too brown on top)
6. Serve with brown rice.

Homemade Turkish Food.

Another successful new flavored meal tonight in the Gillaspey household. We made Turkish Kebobs, aka Gyros. These particular kebobs were made using flank steak as the meat vs. lamb. I made this decision after our bad lamb experience in Greece. I found this recipe on allrecipes.com from a person who invented it after searching unsuccessfully for it online. Kudos to her and her sense of flavor combination for the marinade.

Each child walked into the kitchen and said, ooh, gross. My reply, "I know it's gross, now eat it, it's really good" (Elie even backed me up on the goodness...atta girl El). To their surprise it was good. Katy thought it was bacon. I rolled with it. I think the family has sunk into our new kitchen of odd cuisine. The battles have nearly ended. I now need to get them engaged in learning about these countries... my summer mission.

Turkish Kebobs

Marinade Make the night before.

• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 1 pinch curry powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 pound beef flank steak, thinly sliced
•  
• Tzatziki Sauce (we used store bought from Costco, leftover from Greece)
• 8 ounces sour cream
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
• 1 clove garlic, crushed
•  
• 6 pita bread rounds
• Directions:

1. Place the chopped onions in a large ceramic bowl and crush with the bottom of a glass until juice is rendered and onions look translucent. Stir in 2 crushed garlic cloves, 1/2 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, oregano, 1 teaspoon black pepper, turmeric, curry powder, and 1 teaspoon salt. Mix well; add the sliced beef and toss to coat. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
2. Combine the sour cream, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, dill, and 1 crushed clove of garlic. Mix well; cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
3. Preheat the oven's broiler and set the oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source.
4. Remove the meat from the marinade mixture, brushing off extra onions. Spread the slices on a baking sheet without overlapping, and salt to taste. Broil about 3 minutes per side or until browned and crispy, turning halfway through cooking.
5. Divide the cooked meat between the pita breads, and drizzle with tzatziki sauce to serve.

Tavuk Koftesi.

Translated in English: Chicken Patties. 

Turkey has it going on. They really know how to take something simple and blend just the right seasonings to make simple taste grand. So I found this recipe online on a Turkish blog and I thought how can my kids say these are awful. So I went to work on preparing. The funny thing is, I spent the night in the kitchen and really had nobody to feed. Katy wasn't feeling well, Elie was at soccer and Hannah, drivers ed. Andy ate earlier thinking he had to go back to work, only to get the call that his work was going to be delayed until midnight. So it was me that I was cooking for. And it's ok, very peaceful.

I guess the old saying rang true tonight, "if mama ain't happy, then nobody happy"... And Happy I was. Elie eventually came home and had some. Katy snuck down and tried one and Hannah showed up finally and thought they were good. Andy even tried one (I think he felt bad) and he was very enthusiastic about the flavor. Meal pleasing accomplished.

It's been quite the week so far in the life of us. Hannah had a friend leave this world on Sunday to teenage suicide. Very sad. A young man who hadn't seen life yet. She had spent weeks with him leading up to the Tiger Lillies syncro show and the night after the show, he took his life. So tragic. So troubling. So not simple. I really wish our kids lived life like we did back in the day. We had no instant connections. No cell phones. No computers. No instant gratification. I'm not saying suicide is new but it seems like more and more teenagers are choosing this solution to fix their problems. It's tragic. It's sad and my heart breaks for his parents. I throw this news out because it's part of our life journey. Not always bon-bons.

Tavuk Koftesi

1 lb. ground chicken

1 cup bread crumbs

1 onion, grated (I had no onion so I diced one green onion for a little flavor)

1 egg

1/3 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp curry

1 tsp salt to taste

1/3 cup canola oil for frying

Mix all the ingredients but the canola oil in a big bowl. Then continue mixing with your hands for 3-4 minutes to make sure all the ingredients get mixed together.  Grab egg size or any size you like pieces, and using your palms round them to make chicken patties. Flatten in palms. Sizzle canola oil in frying pan and fry both sides of Chicken patties over medium heat. Serve Chicken Patties warm. 

Baked Lemon Garlic Tilapia

A Simple Healthy Meal.
What kind of food do you think of when you hear, Turkey? Well, Katy giggled when she chose this country, chanting "they eat turkey in Turkey". So I pleased her and picked up some deli turkey at the store yesterday. I came home to a sandwich on the table with 4 small bites out it it. Her after-school snack. Well, she likes the "idea" of turkey but didn't quite devour it.

Dinner was much better for her. She gobbled it up — baked tilapia, cous cous and broccoli. Turkey has a strong mediterranean influence and are pioneers in influencing other countries, including Greece. One would assume that Turkish food is like Greek food, however 400 years of Turkish rule in Greece has left undeniable traces in the cuisine which Greece adopted from Turkey. Other influences include Europe and Asia based on the east and west — classified as Euroasian.

Besides the absolute freshness and quality of ingredients, the key to delicious Turkish food is the fine balance of ingredients combined to flavor the dish. Our meal was simple. Fish, grain and vegetable. A nice balance after a weekend of eating American-style.

Baked Lemon Garlic Tilapia
4 tilapia fillets
2 Tbl lemon juice
1 Tbl butter, melted
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped (we used fresh bottled minced garlic)
1 tsp dried parsley flakes
1 tsp salt to taste
Black pepper

Rinse tilapia fillets under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Rub fillets with salt and pepper. Grease a baking dish and place fillets in. Pour lemon juice all over, then drizzle butter on top. Sprinkle with garlic and parsley. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and bak until fillets get white ad gets flaky when pulled apart with a fork (30 minutes).

A British Invasion.

While in Indonesia, we were invaded by the British for a weekend of wild music and talented water dancing. The meal scene was replaced by authentic entertainment from the Valley Tigerlillies.  We did repurpose the wonderful Indonesian pork into a mighty fine BBQ pork slider by simply shredding the leftover pork and tossing it with a bottled bbq sauce, simmering on the stove. So easy. So delicious.

This is Hannah's 2nd year performing in the Valley Tigerlillies synchronized swim team and she loves every minute of it. They have two months to perfect their routine, working on music, dance and technique. It's her chance to be a "dancer", her childhood dream while giving her a much needed break from competitive swimming.

Show week was quite stressful. Hannah left for school and didn't come home until after 10pm every night. They were busy with last minute routine perfecting and helping paint and finish out the scenery. I smile at the memories of high school. Truly experiencing the times of their lives. I had to remind Andy that it's like the week before Veisha in college where we pulled many a late night building the float in time for the parade. I wish I could go back and have the stress of making sure the paint dries in time.

She was in a Trio where they performed "I'm a Believer", by the Monkee's. They were so good and Hannah was lifted in the air by her friends, Haley and Kelly. In my eyes, they were on broadway performing!

Her next song was "Good Day Sunshine" by the Beatles. She performed with six other girls and it was equally grand. I may be biased but it's ok, it's my blog. It's amazing to think these girls don't do this everyday as a sport. Most are swimmers, divers, track stars, theater buffs, dance team, cheerleaders. And they pull this kind of talented show off.

They couldn't do it without the gracious support of their coach, Susan VandeVenter. She is such a wonderful person, coach, role model that the girls are so lucky to be exposed to.

Our little drama queen. We're so proud of you, Hannah. Now, fire-up for reality to hit you in the face on Monday. Swim season officially begins for you, my little dancing queen.

Happy is.

A Little Satay on a Thursday.

Satay or Sate originated in Java, Indonesia and is considered a popular national delicacy across their country. It is a dish of marinated, skewered and grilled meat and served with a sauce. There are numerous ways to prepare Satay, using pork, chicken, beef, goat, mutton, fish or other meat. The more authentic version uses skewers  from the midrib of the coconut palm frond. Satay can be obtained from a traveling satay vendor, a street-side tent restaurant to an upper-class restaurant or during traditional celebration feasts.

We found it here at home, in the backyard on the grill. Though we didn't use a coconut palm frond, we did use wooden skewers to create an amazing Beef Satay. A thumbs up from everyone!! I must say, it was a whirlwind day. I decided at noon that I was going to make this meal so I ran to the store over my lunch our, came home and quickly mixed up the marinade, sliced the meat and bagged the meat and marinade together. I could have easily made just one marinade but was paranoid that it was going to be too hot for the kids with the red chili pepper that was added so I divided and mixed part of the marinade with and without. Raced back to work and paused until my next run.

From there, I raced home to retrieve my fish from the neighbor who kindly took him in over Easter and now Thursday, I was just getting around to getting him back. Only because her two-year old decided to dump the entire bottle of fish food into the tank and she had to clean the tank. I felt so bad. Abandoned fish. Traumatizing neighbor in cleaning the tank (the fish is like Clifford. It's rather large for a Gold fish and it's not Gold...hmm). You really have to like to touch flopping fish to clean the darn thing.

So back to the night. With Hannah in place at Driver's Ed and Katy home from a cancelled softball practice, I managed to prepare dinner, grilling and all! Andy was busy working in the garage so I let him know dinner was ready and he said he would come in to grill and I proudly said, "I already did"... so gratifying to be a woman who is mastering the art of grilling.

Indonesian Beef Satay with sweet soy sauce
Marinade:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 - 2 garlic cloves
2/3 large onion, cut into chunks
1 - 2 hot red chili peppers, sliced
2 Tbl. fresh coriander, chopped (I used 1 Tbl. dry)
1/4 cup roasted peanuts
1 tsp. sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbl. brown sugar
1/2 - 1 tsp. pepper

Skewers:
2 lbs. beef sirloin, cut into 1-inch cubes
Bamboo skewers, soaked for 1/2 hour in cold water so they don't burn

Sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 Tbl. dark molasses
1 Tbl. brown sugar






Directions:

1. Combine all marinade ingredients and puree in blender or food processor
2. Allow beed to marinade in mixture for at least 2 hours
3. Skewer beef and grill, turing frequently until desired doneness
4. Mix together sauce ingredients and serve skewers with dipping sauce and rice

Simply Delicious. Katy loved dipping her steak in soy sauce. Elie enjoyed it all. Happy is.

A Solid Go-to Meal.

After a pause to rest up from an upper respiratory infection, we have landed in Indonesia just in time for dinner. I've been nursing this sickness since last Thursday. Finally had to cave and see a doctor. I'm now on power drugs and have been noshing on homemade chicken noodle soup and I'm slowly on my way to recovery. Repeat, SLOWLY. Hence the need for a slow cooked meal.

So I cheated a little and prepared a meal that we've been eating for the last 15 years. It just so happens it works in this country called Indonesia. With the way I'm feeling, easy is the only answer. The sauce is wonderful. Trust me. The meal may not look that appealing, but it is quite delicious. Enjoy-

Indonesian Pork
1 (4 - 5lb) pork roast
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 Tbl. chopped crystallized ginger (I use minced in a tube)
3/4 cup peanut butter

Place a metal rack or trivet in the bottom of a slow cooker (I skip this step). Place meat on rack. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, combine honey ginger, soy sauce, lemon juice, pepper flakes and ginger. Pour mixture over meat. Cover and cook on low 9 to 10 hours. Remove meat and keep warm. Skim off excess fat from juices. Turn control to HIGH. Stir in peanut butter and cook about 5 minutes. Slice meat and serve with sauce over a bed of brown rice.

A Mixed Up Family.

That's us. Dying Easter Eggs while making Macaroons (no flour) for Passover. Say wa? Yes, we belong to the mixed faith of our family being Jewish and Catholic. It's sort of like Iowa State vs. Iowa rivalry. We respect each others traditions, though won't begin to budge during holy week. So, we do it all! It's not often that Passover and Easter fall so closely together. The last time I enjoyed this combination holiday was over 15 years ago.

We are looking forward to this time together. 30 of us. Family. Our kids will experience their first Seder dinner, led by their Zadie. It's a rich tradition and one that they will truly enjoy. Zadie-style.  Zadie is yiddish, meaning Grandpa. Mimi is my mom. It stands for "I was too young to be called Grandma in my 40s". So it stuck, Mimi & Zadie. Our family leaders.  So these two are hosting this wonderful feast with my sisters and families and Zadie's three kids and their families. Plus a cousin and his family.

What a perfect family moment in light of our black cloud of an anniversary. Jack would have loved all the family gathering, though probably smiling at the fact that we will be eating lamb while he noshes on a well done ribeye up in heaven.

So here's to a great Passover dinner, lots of red wine and hiding of the easter eggs thereafter.

Happy is.

Memories.

This week can't get over fast enough. Wednesday's used to be the half way mark in getting to the weekend. Hump day. Good things to come. This Wednesday feels anxious, not in a great way. It's the looming. Awaiting the day that marks the end to a man's life. A great man. A father. A husband. A son. A friend. Or just plain, Jack. Damn you, Jack.

So, what do we do? What can you say?  The cup is empty. My sister called tonight. The 1st time in nearly a year she had come unravelled. The unravel you can hear in her voice. Too tired of fighting these feelings. Fragile, an egg shell. We talked. I told her it's ok to have these feelings and to get upset. It's ok. I also told her it's hard to give her the advice she needs. Her loved ones want to protect her so we say things to make it ok. I told her expressing her feelings to strangers sounds easier. They will listen and not try to solve it. I think it's time.

Now what? How do we fill the cup that has gone dry... I think it's the happy warm memories we have of Jack vs. the sorrow we feel from losing him. It's laughing and enjoying and smiling at the times we shared. Jack was such a funny guy. I can remember the countless times we used to go bowling before we had kids and then we carried on the tradition with our children.

I remember his sarcasm. His sincerity towards older people. He taught me how to drive a stick shift car. I remember of course that he missed our wedding while he trekked across the USA, doing something he loved – riding his bike. He loved food. We had BBQ Pork Sammies tonight. Jack would have approved.

He simply adored little Katy. He used to pick her up into the air every time he saw her. Or I would catch him leaning over to talk to her and patting her head, so gently.  He always had the time to talk to her, or to all kids for that matter.

 As we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this weekend, we need to resurrect the memories of Jack and put the sorrow behind us. Sorrow is destructive and the memories will keep us hydrated as the journey of life continues.

Jack.

If heaven were a country, that's where we would be this week.. You see, it will be a year this Friday that our brother (in-law) died instantly after rising from bed to turn his alarm clock off.  Our travels pause this week to dedicate our meals to the best guy on earth. Meals will be easy because Jack LOVED everything when it came to cuisine with the exception of red meat, salmon, lamb or any other fancy flavor. He was a basic guy when it came to eating and a fan to whatever you cooked. Always the guy you could count on to have a 2nd helping of food.

Our last meal with Jack was a year ago, when we had family over to celebrate Elie's Birthday. We had BBQ pulled pork, bake beans, cole slaw, corn bread, etc. and Jack stood raving about how great the meal was. His favorite. Simple. American. Delicious. That night I had no time to talk to Jack while I hosted 20 people. My memory was of our usual banter... "Hey Yack"... Jack replying, "hey Lita"... we smiled.

I met Jack when I was younger than Elie. Crazy. He was the light of my sister, Barb's life. What a handsome couple. He wore Chuck Taylor tennis shoes and drove a red pickup truck in high school. He grew up a few doors down from Andy. Andy's brother, Blaine was a childhood friend and Andy was therefore a part of the hood, though years younger. Memories so tender. A connection between Andy from his childhood and both of us from growing up with Jack, makes this departure that much harder.

We smoked a pork loin today in Jack's honor while celebrating Elie's birthday with Andy's family. He is smiling tonight, wishing he could stop down to enjoy a taste of Andy's cooking.

God love you my friend.

Fish on the Barbie.

I really wish I could have said "Shrimp on the Barbie" but I don't have any shrimp lovers in the family. So, on a perfect autumn night in Australia, we decided to grill Tuna instead. An excellent choice I might add. The Aussie's love to hang-out in the outdoors so that is what we did with our Aussie neighbors. Nothing is better than waking up in the morning smelling like a campfire. It's camping with benefits of sleeping in a bed!

We roasted marshmallows and ran back and forth to check on the Kanas game. Thank you Kansas for letting us witness our neighbor doing a little dance after the big win. The cul-de-sac was hopping. Teenagers coming and going. At one point Hannah was here with three friends, later multiplying to seven. Random carloads of kids stopping by. Our great-nephew, Grayson stopped by. What a treat. He is getting so big and is so cuddly. It was great seeing Kiley and Erich too (the parents of Grayson). We are so happy Kiley landed her residence program at Blank so they will be staying in our city!! Happy is.

Grilled Tuna
Marinade
1 cup teriyaki
3/4 cup olive oil
Garlic
Black pepper

Marinate for 30 minutes.
Throw it on the Barbie on cook to desired temperature. Tuna is better prepared on the rare side. Ours turned out so tender with slightly pick center.